The killing of innocent people — whether at sea, on land, or under occupation — violates every norm of human rights and every principle taught by the world’s great spiritual traditions. No faith, no moral code, and no civilized nation has ever justified the execution of unarmed human beings. That is why such acts are condemned worldwide, from human rights organizations to religious leaders across cultures.
But as Americans, we must confront a painful truth: our government has a long history of using force, covert operations, and economic pressure to seize or control other nations’ resources. And far too often, those actions have overturned democracies, shattered societies, and left decades of trauma.
We did it in Iran in 1953, when the CIA helped overthrow an elected government to protect Western access to Iranian oil. We did it in Guatemala in 1954, crushing a democracy to protect foreign corporate interests. We supported brutal military dictatorships in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil, all in the name of “stability” while turning a blind eye to torture and murder. We looked away as Palestinians were dispossessed of their land, even as international law and global consensus demanded justice. The pattern reaches from Iraq’s oil fields to the Congo’s minerals to the devastation of Libya, where “regime change” left a nation in ruins.
Today, as reports emerge of killings at sea and threats of military action against Venezuela, we risk repeating this dark history once again — this time in a country with the largest proven oil reserves on Earth.
If America is to claim moral leadership, we must first stop violating the very values we preach. Human life is sacred. International law is not optional. And no resource, no geopolitical rivalry, no political agenda can justify killing those who pose no threat.
It is time for the United States to break from its past — not repeat it.
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